The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-03-24
know that tLey viii lack lhe nerve. the courage,
|, sTAND nv TurIR roRNrR VOTE

lash of the veto. aud YOU will DO il because the
hand that holds the whip also holds the poitage.
Mr.. Speaker the same tone and quality 81 CEN
sorship which ] have taken occasion 10 frankly
condemn in the defenders Of the veto policy oi le
President Of the United States, colors and dls-
celors the uttcrauccs Of the Executive. hentle-
men when come TO have a censor, not only oi
the living. but Of the dead, let u he seine other
Than man who, IN the great days oi saciiiiee,
when patriots trenibled and traitors la this very
Hail
wHETTED THE DAGGERs
Of civil war and over broken oaths aud traditions
forgot sought the majestic heart Of the Republic;
wac deaf 20 the appeal uf the imperled Nauon, ana
saw in the demands Of patriotism, which he how 80
prctcntiousiy iuNoees against The defenders oi the
hiding his healthy bulk behind the marketable and
cOwardiy convenience OF n substitute.
] have no desire to cheaper the great Office oi
the Chief Magistrate Of this Nation hy compari-
sons; but Jet those who sharpen Their knives
against these men. thgking them helpless beware
how they challenge comparisons Let ihe nunkles
who iawn at the feet of power and call thls Nelo
evidence of courage, remember that THIS Nation
has not In "A quarter of a century entirely iogoteh
That thcre WAS day when courage couid nave
served this country better than ar now ln r"-etib-
ing mon. some of whom l personally know 10
have been good soldiers who never turned Their
backs upon friend nor upon an enemy
Mr. Speaker. the President. Ia defense 81 The veto,
refers 10 the Revolution. What was the ReNolu-
ton" A war between handful Of patriots, poor
as lazarus proud as Lucer but WI" W. IN ~ ,uir %
spiraCy with Providence On the one hand and cct-
tam fractions of the armed power oi the lroMn on
the other. The only greatness which tliai CON
fct had was found IN its principles ana ihe men
unforeseen results. As war II bears
NO PERcEPTIBLE RESEMBLANCE
10 the conflict between the States. when more
men were killed and wounded in II single battle
than would outnumber the conioined armies Of
Continontals and British in the Revolution.
Take the condition OF the country then aud now.
and the pensions Of the Revolution were as precious
as hearts blood compared 10 those OF today. In
referring TO the Revolution the President cites a
Ola tad Holy Ennlapd hire
llessians 10 cut the thrOats Of the patriots whom
] she had spumed from the foot Of her throne lie
refers to time when the civilization OF the world
permitted Great Britain 10 arm the blood-ihirsiy
sayagos and turn them loose, maddened "lth
! liquor, 10 do nnmeless murder upon the unpro-
tcctcd frontiers of the Colonies.
ID was a century which had moi forgotten the
\ tor;uTes Of the inquisilion Of Torquemada; the
blood stains of the massacre of II. bartholomew
the burning of John Hess; the persecution oi
witches; century which produced the guotine
and the appalling moustrosties Of the Revolution
Il ia Fr8nCe-the century Of Murai and RobespicIre
lie refers 10 day SO near the dark ages that mercy
was lost ant
That century can furnish this no lessons in Gov
ernmeut, except those that speak from us crimes
and shames. And the Chief Executive OF
THE FOREMOST CHRISTIAN NATION
ought not 10 forget that this century, in which not
only this Nation has been united as never before
but all the Natons-that this century has seen more
Of progress than has been witnessed by any other
/ known To all time, and that this measure which
4 commits this people 10 the polsy Of succorinE lis
patriotic poor is but proof that the teachings OF
1 civilization has nst been lost upon Us
Mr. Speaker. the veto message OF the President
Of the United States is not argument in favor o
his action; il j. apology for IT, in which he hegs
the questions at issne and asks 10 be excused ioi
lst The number OF pensioners now on the rolls Is
I'd TO add the dependent soldiers 10 The present
list would lead 20 extrRvagant luaional) taxation
The present pension roll for all persons and pur
poses is under 100000. Al first glance that number
might appear 10 be eNiraordnary-that u, 10
! person Unacquainicd with all the facts. The enor
/ NIFTY Of the pension roll Is incident TO
THE ENoRMIIY OF THE STRUGGLE
that gave rise 20 IT, and 10 the numbers killed
| wounded and disabled ia that struggle.
/ There were 2,2j9000 three-years men enrolled
| during the war aud enough others enrolled fol
different periods Of enlistment 10 make an aggre
gate OF 600 600 men la thc service. Ofthesc 355Ob
1 were known TO have been killed IN action, and ar
now buried in the National cemeteries tits estimated
that at least ll5O00 others We're killed IN action and
| not found, or died Ia hospital or at their homes
making ghastly total OF 100000 on the loyal death
roll. The wounded and disabled reported 0
record during the war is put a 6230D; hut AS Tia
number OF wounded aud disabled II never les
than double the number OF Killed there must har
been not less Than million ot men wounded or dls
baled through disease during The war, making ter
rible aggregate OF 500 900 men Killed wounded am
disabled during struggle OF over four years.
As against these enormous totals, n is fIrged tha
less than 500 600 pensioners from all causes l. NOR
than the country stand OF nj least that that nun
btr marks Aut GAtftlic iltlil ol pADilN
How is the present pension roll made up
II carries all those OF the million and more surgIN
Ors of the war who were
DISABLED THROUGH WOUNDS OR DISEASE,
all the widows aud children Of the half millio
dead and all the dependent parents OF those who lc
no wife or child and Vet tAc present pension roll
less than the number killed In war, less than one
half the number wounded and disabled. and les
than thal one-third OF The total number killed an
wounded IN the war.
The enonniiy Of the pension roll present or pro,
peCtive is not owing 10 ile greed of the soldiers
their dependent survivors, but 10 the cnorniy of
conflict Of which these soldiers, at least, gull
less.
Does the President OF the United States complai
OF the effects of q great war? We invite him
look 10 the cause The reasonable skeleton ia III
closets OF the party that chose him their first -
, ecHiive peace offering to the country which the
failed to destroy II.
Does the Executive plead the drain on the finaI
cal resources Of the country n defense of this vet,
We answer. this is no defense. There is no way
which this people at this day escape the respo
sbiity Of caring for these dependents, which folio
as one OF the logical consequences OF the
TERRIBLE ARGUMENT OF BATTLE,
, except by repudiauon Of all the pledges, expire
aud implied, of the war. expressed in the procl
nations Of the President, laws of Congress. a
platform uttrrauces of all the parties made nj Tin
!, | when the Nation was besct by enemies, impli'
= by the contract which sprang from the tcrrib
ordeal Of a strife la which "A million and half
= | men were manned aud slaughtered, and 10y all
p which this Nation solomnly bound both I
y the ulteranccs of it's individual components and
e an organic whole, 90 make good ali loss which
o sayurs should sustain by death, wound or discas
ID hound itself literally 10 become a father 10 Il
b fatherlcss and the widow = friend. The measure
l. performance was not 20 be technical. but general
2 not stiutcd but liberal; IT, aud it, people II IL
d preserved a Nation, would give of lie aud their 81
n stance as generously ~ these men gave "A half
n million Of their number TO death aud mlllis
u more 10 the mcrcless shot and The lingering d
e ease.
l. Aud now. Mr. Speaker. until these pledges a
redeemed down 10 the last man. these contra,
q met to tle last dollar and met ia the same Splc
Ji did spirit ia which they were made and accepted
= spirit cOmprehending sacrifice, ] stand here
~ deBouncc dislOyal any attempt 10y the EKecuii
ID TO override the will of the Legislative branch
5. this Government while seeking. after a delay Of
e quarter Of century 10 do Justice these desery
10 but dependent SURVIVORS of the war.
Ia this connection wish 10 relute an ASSERT
made by the Executive, that This s regarded a
/ favored as
- - SERVICE PENSION
&c by cx soldiers. ID is favored by ex-soldiers :
AZ not as the theory of. a service pension. I
expressly on the ground that IL is for the relic.
H. disabled, deserving aud dependent soldiers
a A. tie National IncRmpmeut of the Grand Am
ia Of the Rcpube st san Francisco for 1856 that bo
or 10y a unanimous vote approved Of this bill.
10 the same body at the same time 10y n vote Of s6
~ 90 }T against. defeated IA resolution recommend
is the passage 10y Congress of "A service pension bill
~ g. a month 10 the survivors Of The war. This fl
of the attitude Of the Grand Army authoritative
re They la favor 81 this bill. They opposed
sll service pensions They made an intelligent q
ot patriotic discrimination between the measures y
va scented for their Endorsement. They demand
at Justice for their deserving and disabled comrH
with uuHniIno ous voice. but with almost equa
80 unanimous voice they refused to use their v
IA power 10 cRtou from Congress an undue recOg
49, tion. "A personal advantage
m. The President al the United States, aud his
ca fenders refer 10 foreign armies and invite comp